Filling-feeler mechanism



Sept. 4,1923. 1,467.232

R. CROMPTON ET AL FILLING FEELER MECHANI SM Filed April 17, 1919Patented Sept 4, 1923.

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RANDOLPH CROMPTON AND VILLIAlVI E WOODMAN, or irroncnsrnn, MAssAcHSETTS; SAID WOODll/IAN ASSIGNOR-JTOSAID.CBOMPTON.

FILLING-EEELER ivrncnanrsm, Y

Application filed April 17, 1919. Serial No. 290,678.

To all whom it my concern:

i Be it known that we, RANDOLPH QRoMPToN and VILLIAM E. oomm s, both ofWorcester, inthe county of Norcester and Com monwealth of Massachusetts,both OllllZBIlS.

of the United States,.have invented a new and useful Improvement in aFilling-heeler Mechanism, of which the following, together feeler.nisiusin order to produce a novel form of mechanism embodying, in asingle device, the operating principles heretofore separately employedin mechanisms of this character.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel form of'tillingfeeler mechanism that is characterized by its extreme simplicity andreliability of operation.

it is well known in the art that the funclion ol filling: tcelermechanisms is to actu ate loom controlling devices for either stoppingthe loom or for replenishing the weft of an automatic loom upon thesubstantial exhaustion of the filling on the bobbin or filling carrier.A usual form of filling 'l'cclcr mechanism heretofore employed hascomprised a filling; 'l eeler arranged'to have a swcepinn feeling:movement toward the bu t of the filling carrier, whereby the feeler isadapted to follow the unwinding surface of the filling carrier and toactuate the loom controlling devices upon, a predetermined exhaustion ofthe filling on the carrier. Such mechanisms have usually employed someform ot' latch device interposed be tween the loom controlling meansandthe wclt hammer. and so connected to the filling: fecler mechanism asto cause actuation of tho loom controlling devices upon a predeterminedamount of swing'ot the filling l eeler. In such devices the fillingfeeler always has a tendency to swing toward the butt of the fillingcarrier and thereby actuate the loom controlling devices, and variousseparate instrumentalities, suchas controllers having: a caliperingjaction with the shuttle, have been employed to prevent this swingingmovement of the feeler until thefilling has been exhausted, to apredeter mined degree. v

While filling feeler devices of this general character are extremelysensitive and cape ble'offine adjustment as regards the amount offilling remaining on the filling carrier before the loom controllingdevices are operated, nevertheless the necessity of providii'lgseparaterestraining means for controlling 'the swinging of the feelerhas re sultcd incomplicated mechanisms that must be carefully. adjustedand maintained, in

order to prevent premature operation ofthe loom controll ng devices,

By our inventionwe' propose to provide a novel form offill ngitt'ee'l'er mechanism whose 0136121'0101'1" depends upon a comb1nedcal1perinn" and teele'r arresting action between the feelerand thefilling, and the shuttle, rather than upon the sweeping movement of thefeeler alone, or merelyupon an independent 'caliperingaction'with theshuttle. In addition, the mechanism for operative ly connecting the loomcontrolling devices to its.

operating anember is positively maintained out ot engagement with thatmember until the calipcring and arresting action of the.

mechanism causes the loom controlling de-. vices to be actuated uponapredetermined (legrcc of exhaustion of the filling. Con sequently thechances of premature operation of the loom controlling devices are con-Siderably.reduced by the absence of any auxiliary COHlLIOlllDg devicestending to restrain the normal functions of the feeler.

In the accompanying drawings, y Figure 1 1s a plan view of a portion ofthe lefthand endof' a loom provided with a filling feeler mechanismemboding my invention.

Figure 2 is a vi ew partially in section and partially in sideelevationof the parts shown in Fig.1;

- Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion 3 of the parts shown in Flg.1 showing the action of the vteeler mechanism upon a predetermineddegree of exhaustion of, the filling. t I

Figure at is-a detail of a portion of the mechanism.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing a The loom to-which our improvedfilling feeler mechanisml is applied may be of any loo usual orpreferred construction, and may be either a plain loom or an automaticloom. Referring to the drawings, the loom illustrated is of theautomatic weft replenishing type, and comprises a lay 1 suitablysupported for oscillatory movement toward and from a breast beam 2. Thelay 1 is provided in the usual manner with a shuttle box 3 in which ashuttle 1 is adapted to come to rest, when properly boxed, in positionto permit the filling feeler mechanism, to be hereinafter described, todetermine the extent to which the filling 5 on the bobbin or fillingcarrier 6 has been exhausted. A longitudinal slot '7 is provided in thefront wall 4 of the shuttle 1 to permit the iilling feeler operation,and a portion of the shuttle b0): 3' iscut away for the same purpose.

, A rocker shaft 8 is journalled in suitable bearings at the front sideof the breast beam 2 and is connected to either a stopping mechanism ora weft replenishing mechanism, not shown. An upwardly extending rockerarm is mounted on the shaft 8, and a spring 9 acting on a pro ection ofthe arIn tends tohold the arm 10 toward the beam 2. A weft hammer 11 issuitably mounted on a pivot 12 on the opposite side of the breast beam 2from the rocker arm 10 and is adapted to be oscillated back and forthwith respect to the rocker arm 10 by means of a suitable cam device intimed relation with the movement of the lay 1. All of the parts aboveenumerated, together with other loom parts shown, are of the usualconstruction. and their mode of operation is well known to those skilledin the art, so that they need not be further described.

i bahmce lev r i pivotally mounted on a bracket 1-irarried by the breastbeam' 2 by means of a pivot pin 15. 'l he lever 13 is provided with aslot l6 to permit longitudinal movement thereof with respect to itspivot pin 15. The right hand end portion of the lover I?) is located ina depression 01' notch 12' provided in the upper end of the roclrer arm10. so that the arm 10 holds the righthand end of the slot 16 againstthe pin 15. The rinlithand lever portion is made heavier than the lefthand portion and a spring i seemed. to the lower side of the level" andto the Q cltet l 'iii'mther tends to turn it in a clockwise directionabout the pin 15. The clockwise movelneiit of the le er 1? a out itspivot is limited on the left hand side by a stop 19 carried" at theupper arm of a lever 90 that is pivotally mounted on fl bracltct 21' bymeans of a pivot pin 22, the axis of hich at rin'ln: angles to the axisof the pivot pin 15. The lower arm of the lever extends at right anglesto its upper arm so that the lever 20 is adapted to transmit motion fromone plane to another plane that is at substa ntially right anglestheretoi The left handiside of the lever 13 is provided with a pointedportion that is normally located above the line of motion of the wefthammer 11, but is adapted to be moved into engagement with a notchedprojection 24 carried by the weft hammer 11 when the lever 20 isactuated by the filling; feeler mechanism which will now be described.

A feeler slide 25 is slidably mounted on a stationary plate 26 carriedby the breast beam 2 and is yieldingly held toward the lay 1 by means ofa tension sprin 27 connected between a projection 26 of the stationarypla e 26 and a projection 28 at the outside end of the slide 25. Athreaded sleeve 29 coacting with the projection 528 permits adjustmentof the spring 27. A stop 30 carried by the slide 25 coacts with theplate 526 to limit the ETIOVBDlGIlt of the slide in the direction of thelay 1. The slide is provided at its inner end with a slot 81 wit n whicha feeler wheel 32 is mounted for otation about its vertical axis on ashaft located at substantially the end of or away from the butt. 6", ofthe filling carrier 6; for a purpose to be hereinafter described. I V

The feeier wheel 33 is further provided with upwardly extendingprojections 35 and 36, :TO'illlli lY located at diametrically op- 'ii:'i"te points but at different radial distanees from the sha t 39-. Abig I? on the top of the slide 27 is 'rrovided with an adjiistable stop39 that extends in the direction of the projection -15, and adapted tobe en grayed the The stop 38 here shown as com risii j a member inthreadcil engagement with the lug ST and mlapted to be l rllred inposition by a nut 39. but it is to be understood that any other form ofstop cajmble of being adjusted with respect to the projectimi may heen'u iloyed. The projection 36 is provided with an enlarged head 40 thatis adapted to ene ap'e the wall 4 of the F title -1 above the slot '7wden the feelr wheel 32 projects into the slot 7 a predetermined amount,as will hereinafter ap air.

A modification o the teeler wheel adjust ment is shown in; isgs. 5 and(3, wherein a wheel 4:1 is provided with pr jijectien 4-2, Slllliltll tothe proj ction and a projec ion vertira'r art-is thereof. The projection(.X- tendsthrengh'the feel'er wheel 41 and is provided at its end with ahead 4-5 to! the eception of a. suitable tool by means of which theprojectiou 43 maybe turned to vary the distance between the eccentrichead 44 and the wall l of the shuttle. The projection 43 is shown asbeing inthreaded ment with the wheel 11 and is provided with a nut acfor locking it in position, although this is not essential.

A flexible member 47, such as string or cable is connected at one end tothe lower arm of the lever 20, as shown at 48, and is connected at itsother end to the wheel 32 at the point 49, the wheel preferably beingprovided with a peripheral groove to receive the flexible member 47. 1Vith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lever 13 tends tohold the lower arm of the lever 20 against a stop provided on thebracket 21, as best shown in Fig. 1. Consequently, the flexible memberat? extends between the lever 20 and the feeler wheel 32 without anytension therein due to the forces acting on the levers 13 and 20. Thefeeler wheel 32 is thus free to turn slightly on its pivot, and anysmall movement thereof due to its reciprocation and to the vibration ofthe loom will not be transmitted to the lever 20. When the wheel isactually turned in a clockwise direction, however, by engagement of theshuttle wall 4* with the projection 36, the flexible member 47 becomestaut and the movement is transmitted freely, and without lost motion tothe lever 20 to actuate the loom controlling devices.

Havmg described tllG'VELIlOLlS parts enterin into my invention theoperation thereof is as follows: Assume that a shuttle with a fillingcarrier having a considerable amount of filling thereon occupies theposition in the shuttle box shown in Fig. 1. On the forward beat of thelay 1 the filling 5 is engaged by the feeler wheel 32 and the slide 25is moved forward against the action of the spring 27. As the point ofcontact between the feeler wheel 32 and the filling 5 lies substantiallyin the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the slide 25, and the axisof the shaft 33, there is no tendency for the wheel to be turned on itsshaft. On the backward beat of the lay 1 the feeler wheel 32 stillengages the filling and the wheel remains in its normal position withthe projection 35 in engagement with the stop 38, as shown F 1.

As the filling 5 is exhausted from the filling carrier (5 the feelerwheel 32 moves a little further into the slot 7 in the shut. tle wall aseach successive layer of filling is exhausted, the teeth 34 biting intothe filling and arresting any tendency for the wheel to turn in aclockwise direction due to slight variations in the bobbin or fillingcarrier. hen the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined degree,as for example when the filling has been removed from the carriersubstantially up to its point of contact with the wheel, as shown inFig. 3, the projection 36 is engaged by the upper wall 4 of the shuttle.As this occurs on the forward beat of the lay, the force of the blow issufficient to turn the wheel 32 in a clockwise direction on the shaft33, there then being practically no filling engaged bythe teeth 34:which would tend to arrest the turning of the wheel. The turning.movement of the wheel is transmitted. to the le- 2. The projection2 1ofthe weft hammer.

thereupon engages the lever 13 and moves the rocker arm 10 on its shaft9 to actuate the'loom controlling-devices.

The degree of exhaustion of the filling 6 on'the fillingcarriernecessary to actuate the loom controlling devices as describedabove,

may be regulated by means of the stop 38. Moving the stop toward theprojection 35 holds the projection 38 further away from the wall 1* of"the shuttle, thereby causing the engagement of the shuttle with-thepro,- jection 36 to occur after more filling has been removed from thefilling carrier. Moving the stop 38 in the opposite direction causes theprojection 36 to be engaged by the shuttle earlier in its forward beat,thereby increasing the amountof filling that is left on the fillingcarrier. It has been found that the operation of thefilling feelermechanism can be adjusted with considerable delicacy by varying theposition of the stop 38, as described above. For instance, the sto canbe set so that the feeler wheel 32 will not be turned until after theprojection 36 has been struck several blows by the shuttle" wall 1, orit can be set so that the feeler wheel is'turned by the first blow ofthe shut tle, the extent of the arresting action caused by theengagement of the feeler teeth with the filling, determining thequickness with which the device operates. In this way the amount offilling remaining upon the filling carriers may be varied. Otheradjustments can be made at the stop 19 and at the sleeve 29 in order toproperly regulate the operation of the mechanism.

From the foregoing it is apparent that, viewed in its broader aspects,our invention is not limited to the specific form of filling feelermechanism shown herein, or to the specific arrangement of the parts ofthe loom controlling devices shown in relation. to the filling feelermechanism. tion is broad in scope and in character, for it is the firstfilling feeler mechanism to employ a toothed and freely rotatablefeeling member so mounted as to have a combined feeler arresting andcalipering action with the filling and the shuttle, independent of anyexternal controlling or restraining de vices. It therefore represents adistinct and important advance in the art, for by its use it is possibleto construct an extremely sim- The invenple and reliable filling feelermechanism that combines all of the advantageous features of themechanisms heretofore constructed. Vi e desire, therefore, that onlysuch limitations be placed t iereon as come within the scope of theappended claims.

l/Ve claim,

1. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, l feeler member rotatablymounted about a vertical axis and provided with a toothed fillingengaging portion concentric about said axis, and a projecting shuttleengaging portion located eccentrically with respect to said axis.

2. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler member rotatablymounted about a vertical axis and provided with filling engaging teethat equal radial distances from said axis, and a shuttle engagingprojection located nearer to said axis than said teeth.

3. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms. a rotatably mounted. diskprovided around its periphery with filling engaging teeth and having ashuttle engaging abutment projecting from the surface thereof.

4. In a. filling feeler mechanism tor looms. a rotatably mounted wheelprovided around its periphery with filling engaging teeth and having ashuttle engaging projection located eccentricallv with respect to theaxis of rotation ot said wheel.

5. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, the combination with ashuttle, a. filling carrier and a slide movable in the direction of theshuttle. of a feeler member rotatably mounted on the slide and providedwith teeth and with a projection for engagement with the filling and theshuttle respectively.

0. in a filling feeler mechanism for looms, the coinbiiuition with ashuttle, a filling carrier an a slide movable in the direction of theshuttle, of a feeler member rotatably mounted on the slide and providedwith filling; engaging teeth and with a projection adapted to be engagedby the shuttle to cause rotation of said member upon substantialexhaustion of the filling.

7. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, the combination with ashuttle. a filling carrier and a slide movable in the direction of theshuttle, of a feeler member rotatably mounted on the slide and providedwith filling engaging teeth and with a shuttle engaging projectionlocated eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of saidmember.

8. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, the combination with ashuttle, and a filling carrier with filling thereon, of a toothedfilling engaging member mounted for free rotational movement andprovided with a projection, rotational movement being imparted to saidmember by the engagement. of said projection with the shuttle.

9. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, the combination with ashuttle, a filling car.- rier and filling thereon, of a toothed fillingengaging member mounted for reciprocatory an d free rotational movement,the rotational movement being imparted to said member by the engagementof said shuttle with an integral portion thereof.

10. In a filling feeler mechanism for looms, a toothed filling engagingwheel mounted for reciprocatory movement in a straight line at rightangles to the line of movement of the loom shuttle and for rotativemovement about a vertical axis passing through the said line ofreciprocatory movement, the said wheel being free to rotate when not inengagement with the filling, and its rotative movement being subjectonly to the arresting action between the teeth and the filling at thepoint of tangency of the wheel to the filling.

11. In a loom, the combination with loom controlling devices and arotatably and slid-- ably mounted filling feeler capable of freerotational movement independent of its sliding movement. of a normallyslack flex ble member operatively connecting said 'liceler to said loomcontrolling devices.

12. In a loom, the combination with loom controlling devices and arotataliily and slidably mounted fillingfeclcr capable of rotationalmovement independent of its slidmovement. of a flexible member directlyconnecting said feeler to said loom controlling devices, whereby slightrotative movement of said feeler is permitted without aotuating saidloom cont-rolling devices.

Dated April 15, 1919.

RANDOLPH CROMPTON. WILLIAM E. NG O DBIAhl.

. lVitnesses:

Pnnnnorn Coarmnmaon, NELLIE lVrIALEN.

